Qantas Cash Card

[suparockin]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I too have wondered about the concept of locking the exchange rate. But I think it is more about being able to calculate the holiday budget with a greater degree of certainty, rather than making money on the foreign exchange fluctuations.

Sure but you usually have an even chance of winning and losing, considering the differences are usually plus or minus maximum 5% it hardly seems worth it.

 

[Sprucegoose]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I don't understand the idea of 'locking the exchange rate'?

Honestly, if people had any idea about when the dollar was going to appreciate or depreciate then they'd be making squillions as forex traders.

There is a reason it's not an easy way to make money, barely anyone can predict it.

Certainty is important so locking in costs is key to this.

FOREX trading is risky if you speculate, however if you need USD in 3mths you can know how much that will cost today.

 

[Flying mermaid]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Sure but you usually have an even chance of winning and losing, considering the differences are usually plus or minus maximum 5% it hardly seems worth it.

Where it is fluctuating up and down I agree that the is not a lot of point and we haven't bothered over the last few years. However I have travelled at times when the $ was in free fall and then I can see that loading up a card at a known exchange rate could give peace of mind. anyone remember when the $ was in the 50c range. .

 

[Mr_Orange]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Don't forget that using your credit card outside Australia will attract expensive overseas transaction fees which add up quickly so don't forget to factor that in when comparing with loading cash @ 3-5% onto the QF Cash Card.

Bankwest Platinum Qantas card is fee free for international transactions and earns QFF points .

 

[Horatio]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Where it is fluctuating up and down I agree that the is not a lot of point and we haven't bothered over the last few years. However I have travelled at times when the $ was in free fall and then I can see that loading up a card at a known exchange rate could give peace of mind. anyone remember when the $ was in the 50c range. .

Agreed - when it's moving in a very narrow range and you won't be away for long then the locking in process doesn't appear to be much of an issue. BTW, Qantas Cash worked well for us on a recent trip to Hong Kong and Malaysia for some smallish purchases that clearly weren't outstanding value when we did the arithmetic, but in fairness were very convenient.

I certainly remember the 50c days, Flying Mermaid. In early 2000 we were planning an extended RTW trip (with most of our time in Ireland) and the last couple of weeks in the US. IIRC the dollar was about 65c when were doing the planning. By the time we got to Chicago in late October 2000, the free-fall through the year meant we were paying the best part of $AUD 300 for a pretty basic Holiday Inn out near ORD. It would have been nice to save a few of those dollars by locking in a rate when it seemed clear the AUD would keep dropping. If I'm not mistaken, one of my CC statements had the rate at under 49c after the transaction fees.

But I guess it's swings and roundabouts. In 2012 we were in the US and paying somewhere between 20% and 40% (in $AUD terms) of the cost for comparable or better hotel rooms depending on the city.

 

[Flying mermaid]

re: Qantas Cash Card

It is great travelling now - I can remember being in London and wincing every time the kids wanted to eat . We were there last year and it all seemed so reasonable.... I took advantage of the $ hitting 96c today to buy some airfares between Nairobi and Johannesburg on my 28 degrees card - more than one way to lock in an exchange rate. .

 

[singh]

re: Qantas Cash Card

When do the Qantas Cash Card QFF points enter your account? I've used mine for a week or two now and have not noticed any points in my account. I assume 30 days? I couldn't find any info on the Qantas Cash website.

 

[Walter_Plinge]

re: Qantas Cash Card

When do the Qantas Cash Card QFF points enter your account? I've used mine for a week or two now and have not noticed any points in my account. I assume 30 days? I couldn't find any info on the Qantas Cash website.

From memory it's 4-6 weeks - right on the home page. Can't check as the site is off-line as of this moment.

 

[samh004]

re: Qantas Cash Card

When do the Qantas Cash Card QFF points enter your account? I've used mine for a week or two now and have not noticed any points in my account. I assume 30 days? I couldn't find any info on the Qantas Cash website.

Mine come in on the 11th of every month (few days later if it's a weekend).

 

[mandja]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Will using the card on QF and/or Jetstar escape the cc fee?

 

[markis10]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Will using the card on QF and/or Jetstar escape the cc fee?

Yes if booked in the last 7 days or used to buy a gift voucher with QF, and yes if used with the JQ mobile site.

 

[kt_kez]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I sometimes see the CC fee as 'travel insurance' if using a CC that has travel insurance included... Interestingly just looking at it now the exchange rate is oh so slightly better than Ozforex and they both use master card! I wonder if I can load mont on the QF cash card and use that to pay my tax bill?

 

[Sprucegoose]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I am loading up the QCC now for a multiple OS Christmas trip. Buying and locking in various rates before departure. It's called dollar cost averaging and theoretically you can't go wrong.

Has anyone experienced any POS failure with the card?

 

[markis10]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I am loading up the QCC now for a multiple OS Christmas trip. Buying and locking in various rates before departure. It's called dollar cost averaging and theoretically you can't go wrong.

Has anyone experienced any POS failure with the card?

Dont use it for per authorisations at car hire and hotels etc, as there is a thirty days wait for them to clear, realise most would use a charge card for this purpose but thought it worthwhile to mention.

 

[LovemyCC]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Hopefully puts pressure on big 4 banks to lower their bloody international ATM fees. Who still pays ATM fees in Oz?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

re: Qantas Cash Card

I am loading up the QCC now for a multiple OS Christmas trip. Buying and locking in various rates before departure. It's called dollar cost averaging and theoretically you can't go wrong.

Has anyone experienced any POS failure with the card?

No failures & have used pay wave/credit with a signature/inserting card into eftpos machine so it reads chip - the only method not used is swiping it & entering pin.

Get to road test it next week in the US & the ABC Islands so will report back.

Re the inability to add the QF Cash card to PayPal, I have transferred money to my PP account but still can't add QF Cash Card as a form of payment unlike my ANZ Visa Debit Card.

 

[drewbles]

re: Qantas Cash Card

They may well get preferential rates and benefits. No different to say SYD duty free arrivals which provides (IIRC) a 20% discount to flight crew.

From what i've heard, it's zero fees on any amount and yes, preferential rates (very close to mid-market).

 

[Rick93]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Well, I've successfully used my QANTAS Cash card for Ebay / PayPal transactions ...

but I have found it's a bad choice for hotel security bonds ...

still waiting on Sydney IC to release $203. back to me ... now at 22 days post check out.

Called QC, and they supplied full details to be forwarded to hotel. still hasn't worked. Hotel say they have released funds ... QC say they haven't ???

Yep, will take the 30 days, as predicted.

 

[BVT]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Has anyone else had trouble activating their card?

Three separate cards and three attempts. All failed. The "service" centre is, IME, hopeless. They refer me to technical support and then nothing.....ever. When I call to enquire about progress, after ten days of deafening silence, I am told to "wait my turn"! That's an exact quote!

Result = all three cards in the bin!

 

[samh004]

re: Qantas Cash Card

Has anyone else had trouble activating their card?

Three separate cards and three attempts. All failed. The "service" centre is, IME, hopeless. They refer me to technical support and then nothing.....ever. When I call to enquire about progress, after ten days of deafening silence, I am told to "wait my turn"! That's an exact quote!

Result = all three cards in the bin!

I didn't have any activation issues, sure, it took a while, but worked.

My ID check was thankfully done online, but I hear it's relatively painless at AUS post too.

As for the call centre, apart from the audio cutting out every so often as it's based in the UK, the staff have always been very helpful to me. Even had them call me back a couple times one day when something had gone wrong.